SEND Documents
Our Offer for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (The SEN Information Report)
‘He was born blind so that works of God might be revealed in him.’
John 9:3
We value the contribution that every child can make and we are committed to offering a curriculum to ensure the best possible progress for all of our pupils whatever their starting points. We seek to raise achievement by removing barriers to learning and increasing access for all. All children are valued, respected and equal members of the school. Due to our children being very young, on admission we do not expect to fully appreciate or understand their Special educational need. Indeed, often the age of children we cater for means they are undiagnosed. Thus, we welcome all children, regardless of their future needs or diagnoses.
Identifying children’s individual needs
A pupil has SEN where their learning difficulty or disability calls for special educational provision, namely provision different from or additional to that normally available to pupils of the same age.
SEN Code of Practice 2015
At St. John Vianney Catholic Primary School, we see equality as a commitment to providing what each child needs – not necessarily what they deserve – which is different for everyone. We address the needs of each child individually and thus are well placed to identify any Special Educational Needs (SEN) early. We then respond, alongside parents, with a graduated programme of interventions in line with the SEN Code of Practice 0-25, 2015. All children throughout early years and school are monitored regularly to ensure they continue to access the curriculum successfully and to help early identification of need. A range of evidence is collected through assessment and monitoring arrangements, as well as regular discussions between the parents/carers, the room leaders/class teachers and team leaders. If these suggest that any child is not making the expected progress, or their needs have changed, the room leader/class teacher will invite the involvement of the SENco to discuss these additional needs with parents/carers. Following this, the class teacher and parents/carers, work with the SENCO in order to decide if, or how, additional provision is implemented.
Admission to school happens part way through the journey of learning for many of our children with SEND, having started with us in daycare or nursery. However, due to coordinated admission arrangement (available on this website) application for school is a key moment in education. Children who have either a statement of Special Educational Need or an Education, Health and Care Plan which names our school will be admitted to the school.
The SEN Code of Practice 0-25, 2015 outlines four main areas of need.
| Area of need | Definition |
| Communication and interaction. | Children and young people with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) have difficulty in communicating with others. This may be because they have difficulty saying what they want to, understanding what is being said to them or they do not understand or use social rules of communication. |
| Cognition and learning. | Support for learning difficulties may be required when children and young people learn at a slower pace than their peers, even with appropriate differentiation. Specific learning difficulties (SpLD), affect one or more specific aspects of learning. This encompasses a range of conditions such as dyslexia, dyscalculia and dyspraxia. |
| Social, emotional and mental health difficulties. | Children and young people may experience a wide range of social and emotional difficulties. These may include becoming withdrawn or isolated, as well as displaying challenging, disruptive or disturbing behaviour. Other children and young people may have disorders such as attention deficit disorder, attention deficit hyperactive disorder or attachment disorder. |
| Sensory and/or physical needs. | Some children and young people require special educational provision because they have a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of the educational facilities generally provided. Many children and young people with vision impairment (VI), hearing impairment (HI) a multi-sensory impairment (MSI) or a physical disability (PD) will require specialist support and/or equipment to access their learning. |
Staff with responsibilities related to SEND
Mr Martin Boagey (Deputy Headteacher) is the Special Needs Coordinator (SENco) and leads on inclusion at St John Vianney Catholic Primary School.
The SEND link school governor is Mrs G. Proudlock.
Mrs Leanne Swales (Early Years Manager), Mrs Fiona Hutchinson (Early Years Leader), Mrs Faye Marshall (Upper Years Leader), Mrs Julie Mills (Parent Support Advisor) and Mr John Hardy (Head teacher) work alongside the SENCO to support SEN Provision across school.
Mrs Glennis Adamson is our attendance officer.
If you would like to talk to Mr Boagey or one of the staff with related responsibilities, please ask at the school office to arrange a meeting or telephone on 01429 273273.
Support Available for SEN Pupils
St John Vianney School & Children’s Centre has adopted a graduated response to SEN provision determined by the support each individual child needs. We use a three tier approach to classify educational needs that are additional to, or different from, everyday classroom provision.
| Focussed support in class. | This type of support will happen in the classroom. Teachers will focus on a particular child or group of children in order to achieve specific targets. |
| Small group support. | This type of support will happen in addition to lessons taught in class. This type of support is for children that need a little extra help to access the curriculum fully. The duration of such interventions is determined by both children’s progress and the requirements of the programme. |
| 1:1 support and individual programmes. | Individual Programmes are taught on a 1:1 basis, meaning that a child and a professional work together to achieve highly differentiated and focussed targets. These targets will have often been set with support from external agencies. Usually, only the children with the most severe SEN will require this support. |
St John Vianney School & Children’s Centre SEN Provision Map
| Area of need | Wave One (all children) | Wave Two | Wave Three |
| Cognition and learning | Quality first teaching. Differentiated curriculum, planning, tasks, delivery and outcome. Modelling, checklists, writing frames, word banks, dictionaries…Visual timetables and resources. ICT resources. Light touch teacher/adult support |
Targeted group work Booster classes Paired reading Precision teaching Fluency into comprehension |
Intervention on individual level. Individual, personalised targets and programmes (often contributed to by other, external professionals). |
| Communication and interaction | Quality first teaching. Differentiated curriculum, planning, tasks, delivery and outcome. Visual timetables. Writing symbols and ICT (Widgets). Consistent routines and expectations. Light touch teacher/adult support |
Targeted group work Vocabulary books Word banks Speech and language input Blast And Blast 2 intervention NELI intervention |
Intervention on individual level. Individual, personalised targets and programmes (often contributed to by other, external professionals e.g. Speech and language therapists). |
| Social, emotional and mental health | Quality first teaching. Consistent routines and expectations. Light touch teacher/adult support. Heterogeneous, collaborative group learning. Peer mediation. Celebration of effort awards. Pearls instruction. Forest schools |
Targeted group work Home/school communication book. Greater social responsibility opportunities e.g. Primary leaders |
Individual behaviour plan. Home/school liaison. Parent support advisor/family support. |
| Sensory and physical | Quality first teaching. Differentiated curriculum, planning, tasks, delivery and outcome. Light touch teacher/adult support. ICT provision. Multi-sensory resources. Forest schools. Outdoor provision. Out of hours sport coaching. Visiting, specialist coaching e.g. street dance. Primary leader training. Scribble while you wiggle Dough disco |
Targeted group work e.g. handwriting Precision teaching Specific, generic resource provision e.g. pencil grips Access to off-site provision |
Individual intervention programmes (often generated by occupational therapists). Specific, recommended resource provision e,g. adjustable seating. Specific, targeted adjustments to physical environment (often recommended by occupational therapists). Individualised physiotherapy programmes (generated by physiotherapists). |
Hartlepool’s Local Offer
External support services play an important part in helping us to identify, assess and provide appropriate provision for pupils with SEN. We have access to the following services:
- Educational Psychologists
- Speech and Language Therapists
- Occupational Therapists
- Physiotherapists
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)
- Social Services
- Hearing impaired service
- Health Services
Multi-agency, care co-ordination meetings are held as appropriate to ensure effective collaboration in identifying and planning to provide appropriate support for vulnerable pupils.
Medical Needs
We consult with parents and health professionals to write care plans that are specific to individual children’s needs and train staff to support children with medical conditions.
Measuring Pupil Progress and Involving Parents/carers
Parents and carers will be informed of their child’s progress and involved in target setting throughout the academic year and in a variety of ways. These include:
- informal meetings with teachers;
- meetings with SENCO and parent consultation meetings;
- annual review meetings, for children with an Education, Health and Care Plan;
- multi agency meetings, for children that have support from multiple external agencies e.g. Speech and Language, Occupational Therapy, Educational Psychologist.
When a child is identified as having SEN, an Individual Learning Plan (ILP) will be written in consultation with parent/carer and, whenever possible, the child. This plan follows the ‘assess, plan, do, review’ process and clearly describes: how a child is performing at present; what provision will be made to help the child to progress; how long the intervention will last; and, the intended outcomes of the intervention. ILPs are reviewed by teachers and practitioners and adapated in the light of each individual child’s progress. In all parent consultation meetings, ILPs are discussed and targets and associated support agreed.
In addition to routine assessments used across the setting, PIVAT assessments may be used to track children’s progress. PIVATS provide teachers and practitioners with a structured approach to assessing, planning for learning, tracking and measuring small steps in attainment, focussing within the PIVATS structure on small steps within the P scales up to the revised national curriculum year four age related expectations.
SEND Training and Resources
We aim to meet the needs of all pupils and ensure that provision is appropriate. This means that we adapt our support and training schedule to meet the needs of the individual children in the school at any given time. If additional training is required, the SENCO will contact the appropriate body to deliver the training or will train identified staff as required.
At St JohnVianney School we deploy evidenced based interventions and resources to support our pupils. This means that the resources we purchase have previously proven effective in improving pupil performance in a range of schools and settings and the interventions we deploy have evidenced research of their proven effectiveness.
Accessibility
All pupils have the entitlement to a broad, balanced and relevant curriculum. The majority of pupils with SEND are taught, with their peers, in mainstream classes by their class teacher and study the curriculum appropriate for their age. All teaching staff have a good understanding of the National Curriculum and ensure their planning, teaching and assessment meets the needs of all pupils, including those with SEND. They do this by:
- providing suitable learning challenges;
- providing suitable learning environments;
- meeting the pupils’ diverse learning needs;
- removing barriers to learning.
To ensure the school site remains accessible to pupils, parents/carers and staff with disabilities, our school keeps up to date records in our Accessibility Plan.
Transitions
As children grow they will make several transitions; this may include moving to a new school, moving to/from a specialist provision school, moving to a new Key Stage or to a new class. We employ many strategies to ensure that these are managed effectively and pupils are sufficiently prepared for such changes. Strategies include:
- Transition meetings to include parents/carers, class teachers, Teaching Assistants, SENCO and all other professionals involved in the transition process;
- Class handover meetings;
- Transition books to give children and parents a clear image of the upcoming changes;
- Visits to new settings with familiar staff;
- Visits to secondary placement schools accompanied by familiar adults.
Support and Training for Parents
The parent/teacher consultation process of forms, meetings and ILPs means that parents/carers are consistently involved and supported in order to help children reach their targets. Parents/carers are commonly supported in school to address needs that arise from parent consultation or multi agency meetings. If necessary, we will support and signpost parents to relevant external support agencies.
In addition, we host a number of parents’ information and training events throughout the year such as: phonics instruction, cursive handwriting, written methods in mathematics.
Support for Children with Emotional Difficulties
The physical and emotional wellbeing of all of our pupils is very important. During a child’s academic career, they may be unfortunate enough to experience emotional difficulties. These could include, but are not limited to, bereavement, parental separation, bullying and difficulties with transitions. We are able to support children in a number of ways. Support available to children includes:
- key worker arrangements in early years;
- named adult in their ‘family at school’;
- Rainbows bereavement/loss counselling support;
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS);
- Educational Psychology Services.
Some children will need additional support to manage their behaviour when they are experiencing emotional difficulties. Where it becomes clear that a child is having on-going difficulties in managing their behaviour, there are a wide range of strategies which are used to support them. Such strategies are most effective when parents/carers are involved in the planning and decision making stages. Such support systems include:
- behaviour charts to enable celebration of good behaviour;
- increased communication between home and school;
- Individual Behaviour Plans (IBPs);
- support from the SENCO, identified teaching assistants and teacher;
- additional literacy or numeracy support where this is identified as a barrier to learning and impacts on the pupil’s behaviour;
- alternative curriculum provision;
- referral to outside agencies such as Educational Psychologist, CAMHS etc.
Links to Other Services
Child and family needs are at the heart of any plan for provision. Many families in the school will have links with services outside of education such as health care professionals or social services. We endeavour to work collaboratively with these services and have good, existing links with them and help families with referrals whenever necessary. The majority of meetings required are held in the school premises. These include, but are not limited to:
- Multi Agency Planning meetings;
- Child in Need meetings;
- Informal Meetings with Parents/carers and external agencies;
- Referral procedures for Occupational/Physio Therapy.
Useful Links
Hartlepool Community Support Hub
Here you can find local and national services around things to do, places to go and people to talk to, all in one place. This site is aimed at children, young people, their families and any professionals who may be involved with them.
Contact Details
Telephone: 01429 272905
Email: helping@hartlepool.gov.uk
Website: http://hartlepool.fsd.org.uk/kb5/hartlepool/fsd/home.page
Hartlepool SEND IASS
Hartlepool’s Special Educational Needs and Disability Information, Advice and Support Service (SEND IASS) offers impartial information, advice and support to children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities.
Contact Details
Telephone: 01429 284876
Email: HARTLEPOOLIASS@hartlepool.gov.uk
Website: www.hartlepoolsendiass.co.uk
Hartlepool Families First
Hartlepool Families First exists to improve the quality of health and life for children, young people and their families through a range of social, welfare and educational measures.
The organisation’s objectives, as stated in their constitution, are: “Provision of therapeutic, educational and stimulating toys and equipment, the preservation and protection of health and the relief of distress within family relationships, in particular but not exclusively by the provision of a support and advice service and the promotion of good parenting practice and skills.”
Contact Details
Hartlepool Families First, 6-7 Belle Business Park, Greatham Street, Hartlepool, TS25 1RU
Telephone: 01429 867016
Fax: 01429 818463
Website: http://www.hartlepoolfamiliesfirst.org.uk
Hartlepool Parent Partnership
The Parent Partnership Service plays a key role in promoting positive relationships between parents, schools, Local Authorities (LAs) and others. This is important in enabling children and young people with SEN to achieve their potential. Hartlepool Borough Council set up the parent partnership service in order to ensure that parents of children with SEN are fully informed and involved in their child’s education. Although the parent partnership service is part of the LA, it operates independently.
The service offers parents and carers the following:
- Independent support and someone to talk to in complete confidence.
- An explanation of matters concerning SEN.
- Information Leaflets about special educational needs.
- Help with filling in forms and expressing views.
- Someone to attend meetings with.
- Information about local support groups and voluntary agencies.
Contact Details
Telephone: 01429 266522
Email: louise.allen@hartlepool.gov.uk
Monday to Thursday 8:30am to 5:00pm. Friday 8:30am to 4:30pm
Complaints
Any questions, concerns or complaints are taken seriously and we find most issues can be resolved informally by talking with your child’s class teacher or the school SENCO, Mr Martin Boagey. If the issues are not satisfactorily resolved informally then our complaints procedure can be followed. It is available in the ‘Your voice and our response’ section of this website or can be obtained from the setting.